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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. present — the time now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cue — for pool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. present — there
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — a city

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