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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · rash · mug · hide · dip · pass · present · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cell — a phone
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. present — a gift
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mug — a face
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — a series
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cell — in biology

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