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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kid — child
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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