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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — part of the head
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spring — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spring — of water
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — low music
  21. shower — rain
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — to confront
  24. nail — for a hammer

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