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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chair — a leader
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — a short time
  8. suit — clothes
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spell — letters
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mug — a cup
  15. row — a line
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mug — a face
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spell — magic
  20. mug — to rob
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. march — the month

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