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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — completely
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. dip — a sauce

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