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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. degree — from a university
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. last — finally
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. last — final
  18. chair — a leader
  19. swing — in golf
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. leaves — to go away

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