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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bound — tied together
  6. key — in music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lean — to bend
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. race — humankind
  18. bound — obliged
  19. race — a contest
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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