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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — a short time
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — letters
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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