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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to click
  24. wake — a trail

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