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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a tool
  24. lean — thin

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