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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — an amount
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a song
  16. degree — temperature
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — a break
  24. degree — from a university

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