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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. can — to be able to
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. row — a line
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — happy
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — a permit

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