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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spring — of water
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. present — there
  7. spring — a coil
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. kick — in football
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — the time now
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — a group
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — letters
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. present — a gift
  23. spring — the season
  24. straw — dry grass

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