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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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 — to dunk
  2. spell — magic
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — a thing
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tear — from crying
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spell — letters
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. object — an aim
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — to protest
  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