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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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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: tear · saw · dip · bay · pitch · staff · lean · cap

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — thin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. tear — to rip
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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