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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chair — a leader
  5. toast — bread
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — all right
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tear — from crying
  16. roll — a list
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. tear — to rip
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. land — to come down
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wind — moving air

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