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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — a position
  7. drill — army training
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. capital — money
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to sink
  23. drill — a practice
  24. leaves — of a tree

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