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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. spell — magic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rest — a break
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mate — a friend
  24. racket — for tennis

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