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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — final
  7. ground — the earth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. last — finally
  13. net — after costs
  14. dip — to sink
  15. drill — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. lean — thin
  18. ground — a position
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. drill — army training
  23. last — to go on
  24. ground — crushed

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