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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mark — a trace
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hand — in cards
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cue — a signal
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — to sink
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cue — a hint

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