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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mug — a face
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bowl — a football final

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