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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — to eat
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chip — for betting
  24. craft — boats

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