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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.

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: key · hide · game · object · dip · staff · lie · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — in music
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. dip — to sink
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. staff — employees
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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