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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mate — a friend
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mug — a face
  6. content — the amount
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mug — a cup
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pound — a weight
  24. content — videos and posts

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