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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · mate · kick · dip · craft · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tear — to rip
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tear — from crying

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