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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pop — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — to breed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pop — soda
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bat — in an idiom

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