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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. court — of a king
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cell — in biology
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — music
  16. firm — decided
  17. pop — soda
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. firm — steady
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kick — in football
  24. dip — a sauce

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