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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. roll — a cake
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. craft — boats
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spring — of water
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. roll — a list
  20. press — to push
  21. lie — to recline
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spring — a coil

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