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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. land — to come down
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. land — ground
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. land — a country
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. band — a music group

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