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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — happening now
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. swing — to play on
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cabinet — ministers

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