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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — the earth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bass — low music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. dip — to sink
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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