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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.

Make a worksheet

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: dip · object · chair · squash · last · staff · tear · land

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. last — final
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — a thing
  6. land — a country
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. last — to go on
  10. staff — a stick
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. tear — to rip
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chair — a leader
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  24. last — finally

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