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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — a committee
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. game — a match
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rock — music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. face — to point toward
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — to sink
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — a stone
  24. can — a tin

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