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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — electric
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a face
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mug — to rob
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. bat — for baseball

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