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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. row — to paddle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. roll — a cake
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. roll — a list
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. charge — a price
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stand — to bear
  23. row — a line
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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