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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — a series
  4. dip — to sink
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. key — the most important part
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — hasty
  12. march — the month
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. key — for a lock
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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