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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — a stick
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. capital — a city
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. snap — to click
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. field — farmland
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. field — a subject

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