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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mark — a grade
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — a skill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mark — a trace
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. tear — to rip
  18. net — in sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. tear — from crying
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — to sink

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