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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. file — a tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ground — a position
  7. can — a tin
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — music
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pop — soda
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. swing — music
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. swing — in golf

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