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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pop — soda
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. staff — employees
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fan — to cool the air

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