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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kick — in football
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rule — government
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rule — a law
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bound — obliged
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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