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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  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