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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — in cards
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hand — help
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. land — a country
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. land — ground
  23. file — a document
  24. hand — part of the body

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