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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — for dancing
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — to bend
  21. club — a group
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lean — thin
  24. club — for golf

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