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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a friend
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. net — after costs
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cell — in biology
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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