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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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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. 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. bear — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hand — help
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. field — for sport
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — a subject
  23. wound — an injury
  24. 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