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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — a series
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. track — a song
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. fan — a supporter

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