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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 124 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — the fruit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — a contest
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a committee
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. dip — to sink
  18. shower — to wash
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. shower — rain
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — clever

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