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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. land — a country
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. land — to come down
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — to roll

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