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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chair — a leader
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rest — a break
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. spell — a short time
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — final
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. last — to go on
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spell — magic
  22. last — finally
  23. roll — a list
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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