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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to point toward
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. root — the cause
  24. drill — army training

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