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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cell — a phone
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cell — in biology
  18. drill — army training
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bark — to shout

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