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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mug — to rob
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bore — gave birth
  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