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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: snap · dip · board · ball · mug · kid · lie · date

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. snap — to click
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kid — child
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mug — a face
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mug — to rob
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a dance
  24. date — the fruit

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