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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. race — humankind
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — the arms race
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. mark — a grade
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. race — a contest
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to sink

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