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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — a trace
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — in sport
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fall — the season
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a round shape

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