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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — happy
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mark — a trace
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. roll — a list
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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