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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — thin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — music
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — bread
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. shower — rain
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — help

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