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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ground — the earth
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — a position
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. staff — a stick
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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