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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to click
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hand — in cards
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bowl — a dish

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