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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cold — not warm
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. key — the most important part
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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