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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. staff — employees
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rock — music
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ball — a dance

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