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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: mine · wake · face · spell · kid · dip · can · firm

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — decided
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — to confront
  7. firm — steady
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. firm — a company
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. kid — child
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — to sink
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — magic
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kid — to tease

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