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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ball — a dance
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. last — finally
  15. craft — a skill
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mug — a face
  19. ball — a great time
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lean — thin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. craft — a handicraft

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