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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. cold — an illness
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cold — not warm
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — the season
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — magic
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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