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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — to sink
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mug — a face
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mug — to rob
  13. board — a committee
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cold — not warm
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. can — to be able to
  23. board — to get on
  24. deal — an agreement

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