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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — low music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rest — what's left

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