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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — employees
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — there
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — to be able to
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. staff — a stick
  13. present — the time now
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. present — a gift
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. firm — decided
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — a company

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