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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — in sport
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hand — help
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — a hat
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — thin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lean — to bend
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cap — of ice
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hand — in cards
  22. dip — to sink
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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