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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. staff — employees
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. dip — to sink
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wind — moving air
  11. shower — rain
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a committee
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wind — moving air
  22. board — to get on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — a sauce

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