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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chip — to eat
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. clip — a video
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stem — to come from

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