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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. game — a match
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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