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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — part of the head
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. staff — a stick
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — a position
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. last — finally
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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