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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. current — of water
  3. dip — to sink
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the sport
  8. shower — to wash
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. shower — rain
  16. mate — a friend
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mate — to breed
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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