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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — the month
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — a permit
  11. march — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. staff — a stick
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. march — the month

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