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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to sink
  6. swing — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. fall — the season
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. present — there
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — in a road
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — the time now
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. staff — employees

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