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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rash — a series
  8. roll — a cake
  9. row — a line
  10. roll — a list
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — help
  24. roll — on a roll

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