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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. band — a ring
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to click
  14. club — a group
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bound — certain
  22. wind — moving air
  23. dip — to sink
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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