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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. present — there
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to sink
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. dip — a sauce

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