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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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 dunk
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. present — a gift
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fall — the season
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tube — a container
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. toast — bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — there
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — magic
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mate — a partner
  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