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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. craft — boats
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ball — a dance
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. kid — to tease
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — child
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. face — to point toward
  16. craft — a skill
  17. face — to confront
  18. tube — a container
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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