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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ground — a position
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ground — the earth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — the sport
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. scale — size or range
  23. squash — to crush
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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