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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. field — a subject
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a face
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. field — for sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. content — the amount
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. content — happy
  24. mug — a cup

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