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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mate — a friend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chip — to eat
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chip — for betting

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