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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.

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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mug — to rob
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rest — a break

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