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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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 — a sauce
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. club — a group
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. last — finally
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for golf
  15. last — to go on
  16. rest — a break
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. last — final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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