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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — of ice
  11. press — a publisher
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — a phone
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. bore — to drill
  22. craft — a skill
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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