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

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. present — the time now
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — a signal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — a gift
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. drill — the tool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. present — there

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