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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. face — to point toward
  3. snap — to click
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — a country
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — to tire
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. land — ground
  19. face — to confront
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — a horse colour

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