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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. dip — to sink
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — for digging
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lean — thin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. row — a line
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bound — certain
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tube — in a tire
  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