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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mark — a trace
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spring — the season
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spring — of water
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hand — help
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cell — a phone

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