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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — a publisher
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kid — child
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kid — to tease

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