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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: lie · rock · cold · suit · rash · dip · stick · staff

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rash — hasty
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — an illness
  9. suit — clothes
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. staff — employees
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — to recline
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. staff — a stick

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