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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — a thing
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mug — a face
  9. object — to protest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mug — a cup
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. perch — the fish
  24. saw — the tool

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