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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 120 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: foot · dip · fine · row · can · fall · hide · staff

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. foot — a measure
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — all right
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a line
  23. fall — the season
  24. fine — a penalty

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