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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. row — a line
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — hasty
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fan — to cool the air

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