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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — child
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. hand — help
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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