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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kid — to tease
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rule — government
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — the season
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for golf
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fall — to drop
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — a group
  24. rule — a law

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