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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cold — not warm
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. firm — a company
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cold — an illness
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — low music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. firm — decided
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. temple — a place of worship

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