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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fall — the season
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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