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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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468
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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to sink
  3. capital — money
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — a gift
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mug — a face
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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