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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — to go on
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. last — finally
  12. hand — help
  13. lean — thin
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. last — final
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. lean — to bend
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — the Cold War

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