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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. content — happy
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — a coil
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. content — the amount
  12. spring — of water
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — the season
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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