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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. cell — in biology
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rest — a break
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — a short time
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — music
  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