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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.

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: cold · wound · face · stick · dip · staff · coach · mug

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — to confront
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to point toward
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. staff — employees
  18. cold — not warm
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cold — an illness
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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