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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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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: rest · cap · staff · mine · dip · net · deal · roll

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — to sink
  4. roll — a cake
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — to handle
  11. roll — a list
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. net — after costs
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. net — in sport
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. staff — employees

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