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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chest — of your body
  14. toast — bread
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chest — a box
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com