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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. date — the fruit
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. march — the month

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