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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — a tin
  6. cold — an illness
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — to breed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. can — to be able to
  24. dip — a sauce

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