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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mug — to rob
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. roll — a list
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a committee
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. present — the time now
  17. mug — a cup
  18. present — a gift
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mug — a face
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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