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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. suit — to fit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — in sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a leader
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. net — for catching
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. suit — clothes
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — after costs
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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