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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: suit · lean · mug · row · temple · wake · rash · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rash — hasty
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lean — thin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mug — a face
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — a line
  21. rash — a series
  22. mug — to rob
  23. row — to paddle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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