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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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