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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. swing — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. net — after costs
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — in sport

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