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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to click
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cue — a signal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. toast — bread
  18. fall — the season
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bore — to tire
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to drill
  24. roll — a list

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