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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: ruler · dip · pitcher · temple · kid · sharp · fall · rock

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — child
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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