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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cell — in biology
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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