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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. snap — to click
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — to eat
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the fish
  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