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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wind — moving air
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. object — an aim
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — to protest
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — magic
  23. object — a thing
  24. spell — a short time

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