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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rest — a break
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — the cause
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. dip — to sink
  17. staff — a stick
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tear — from crying
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — a sauce
  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