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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. row — a line
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — certain
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. degree — from a university

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