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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. 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. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. race — the arms race
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. last — final
  10. court — of law
  11. last — to go on
  12. race — humankind
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — a contest
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of a king
  23. last — finally
  24. 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