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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. spell — magic
  6. chair — a leader
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. key — in music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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