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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — to sink
  6. suit — in cards
  7. game — a match
  8. rush — hurry
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — a stone
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spring — of water

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