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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. band — a music group
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pop — music
  8. object — a thing
  9. pop — to visit
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lean — to bend
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pop — soda
  16. object — an aim
  17. lean — thin
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a ring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a grade

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