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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — there
  5. race — the arms race
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. present — a gift
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — a practice
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. drill — army training
  17. race — humankind
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. race — a contest
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — for a hammer

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