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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — low music
  14. rash — a series
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — of the leg

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