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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — a contest
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spell — magic
  24. race — humankind

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