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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. kid — child
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. dip — to sink
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mark — a grade

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