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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mate — a partner
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. march — the month
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lean — thin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pop — to visit
  21. drill — army training
  22. march — music
  23. drill — a practice
  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