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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 124 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — to play on
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a face
  6. net — after costs
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — to protest
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. net — in sport
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. staff — a stick
  19. object — a thing
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hand — help

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