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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. net — after costs
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for golf
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. net — for catching
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. club — for dancing
  11. net — in sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. face — to confront
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. club — a group
  17. face — to point toward
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. snap — to click
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — part of the head
  22. shower — rain
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. dip — to dunk

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