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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. field — for sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — clever
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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