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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hand — in cards
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pit — in a race
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pit — a hole
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — for paper
  20. hand — help
  21. clip — a video
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. wake — a trail

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