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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to sink
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — a short time
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spell — magic
  9. band — a ring
  10. race — the arms race
  11. band — a music group
  12. spell — letters
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pit — in a race
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. race — humankind
  18. pit — a hole
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. race — a contest
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to click

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