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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.

Words on the sheet
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: cue · object · lean · nail · mine · field · dip · kid

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. field — a subject
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kid — to tease
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — for sport
  18. kid — child
  19. object — to protest
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — thin

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