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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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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rule — government
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — the most important part
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rule — a law
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — a weight
  15. capital — money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — in music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. key — for a lock

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