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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. tube — a container
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. vault — a safe
  11. club — for golf
  12. mug — to rob
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lean — thin
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. club — a group
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — the underground

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