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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. squash — to crush
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cap — a lid
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — belonging to me

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