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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. spell — magic
  9. cap — a lid
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — letters
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chest — a box
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cap — of ice

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