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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — a grade
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wind — moving air

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