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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. stem — to come from
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — a face
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cue — a signal

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