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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — all right
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. club — for golf
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. club — a group
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for dancing

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