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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spell — letters
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. staff — employees
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — a law
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — magic
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — government
  21. lean — thin
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to bend

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