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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. firm — a company
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — decided
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — a country
  21. hand — help
  22. firm — steady
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. land — ground

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