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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. last — final
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — finally
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wind — moving air
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rest — what's left

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