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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cold — not warm
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. dip — to dunk

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