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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cell — a phone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spring — the season
  12. hand — in cards
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. object — a thing
  16. rock — a stone
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — a coil
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — help
  24. prune — to trim

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