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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rule — a law
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. dip — to sink
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mate — a friend
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — government
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. straw — dry grass

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