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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 116 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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. staff — a stick
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — hasty
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — a series
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — music
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wind — moving air

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