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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. firm — decided
  3. dip — to sink
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to click
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — boats
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — a company
  17. sharp — clever
  18. press — newspapers
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. firm — steady
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rash — on the skin

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