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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. object — a thing
  3. bound — certain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. object — to protest
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cue — for pool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. shower — rain
  12. spell — a short time
  13. object — an aim
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bound — obliged
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — a trail
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. perch — for a bird

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