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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 116 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 make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. sharp — clever
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cold — an illness
  17. hand — help
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stand — for spectators

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