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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. dip — a sauce
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fall — the season
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mate — a friend
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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