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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 watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. field — for sport
  8. rash — hasty
  9. shower — rain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rock — a stone
  13. staff — a stick
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rash — a series
  23. shower — to wash
  24. field — a subject

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