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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — boats
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bank — of a river
  12. craft — a skill
  13. press — to push
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fall — the season
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — newspapers

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