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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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 sink
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — for catching
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rock — music
  14. net — after costs
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — not warm
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. net — in sport
  23. pass — a permit
  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