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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. row — a line
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mug — a face
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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