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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rush — hurry
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. vault — a safe
  13. land — to come down
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tear — to rip

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