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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — a country
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. land — to come down
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. arm — a part of something
  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