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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ball — a dance
  24. staff — employees

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