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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. dip — to sink
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a line
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — to recline
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pitcher — a jug

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