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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. net — for catching
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cue — a signal
  21. net — after costs
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — the underground

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