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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. dip — to sink
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spring — of water
  7. mug — a face
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rash — a series
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. spring — the season
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. game — a match
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — a cup
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. dip — a sauce

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