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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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Word bank
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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. game — wild animals
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. game — a match
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fine — all right
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — high quality

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