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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. present — the time now
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — a trace
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. staff — employees
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. present — there
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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