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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. land — ground
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wind — moving air
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — to come down
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. key — in music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. trunk — of a tree

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