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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wind — moving air
  3. staff — a stick
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. roll — a list

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