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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. field — farmland
  5. mark — a grade
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a trace
  15. field — a subject
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. game — a match
  20. field — for sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — wild animals

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