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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. tube — a container
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. suit — in cards
  15. degree — an amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. suit — clothes
  24. degree — from a university

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