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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — a break
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. track — a path
  10. spell — magic
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — electric
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — of water
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — in music
  19. spell — letters
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — a song
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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