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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mug — a face
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kid — child
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pound — a weight
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mug — to rob

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