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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · prune · spell · mug · bay · tube · kid · dip

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. tube — a container
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. kid — child
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — letters
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tube — the underground
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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