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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — to eat
  15. net — after costs
  16. chip — for betting
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. net — in sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — part of the body

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