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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — rain
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — to sink
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. roll — a list
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. sharp — clever
  24. dip — a sauce

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