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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: mouse · staff · chip · dip · hand · cap · leaves · lie

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — of ice
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — a lid
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. staff — a stick
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cap — a hat

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