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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fall — to drop
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pop — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — soda
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fall — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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