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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stem — to come from
  23. swing — to play on
  24. board — to get on

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