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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. row — a line
  3. race — a contest
  4. wake — a trail
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. race — humankind
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to sink
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. row — to paddle

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