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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: staff · present · spell · racket · hide · dip · kid · track

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spell — letters
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — a short time
  10. track — to keep track
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — a path
  13. present — a gift
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spell — magic
  16. kid — to tease
  17. present — there
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a song

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