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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wake — a trail
  6. shower — rain
  7. mug — a face
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bank — of a river
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. board — a committee
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — for money
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — to rob

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