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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. drill — army training
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fall — the season
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. dip — to sink

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