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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — help
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. track — a path
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — of water
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. current — happening now
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rush — a thrill

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