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

Word bank: dip · mine · rush · rock · deal · hand

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. dip — to sink
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — for digging
  15. hand — help
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — to move gently

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