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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mug — to rob
  7. firm — steady
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cap — a lid
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mug — a face
  13. firm — decided
  14. mug — a cup
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kick — with a leg

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