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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. suit — in cards
  3. land — a country
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. suit — clothes
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — to come down
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. land — ground
  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