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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. toast — bread
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — finally
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. dip — a sauce

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