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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: mug · ground · temple · row · pit · wind · cue · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — a position
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. mug — to rob
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mug — a face
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cue — a signal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wind — moving air

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