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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. deal — to handle
  11. dip — to sink
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a song
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a path
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lean — thin

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