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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pop — soda
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. season — in sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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