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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: cap · present · rock · stem · dip · wind · hide · staff

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. staff — employees
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — a stick
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — employees
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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