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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hand — help
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hand — in cards
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. dip — to sink
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spell — letters
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rush — hurry
  24. squash — the vegetable

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