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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. club — a group
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for golf
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — a supporter

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