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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. object — an aim
  3. wind — moving air
  4. object — a thing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. object — to protest
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — the most important part
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. dip — a sauce

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