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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. drill — a practice
  5. dip — to sink
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. drill — the tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bass — the fish
  19. drill — army training
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. present — a gift
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bass — the instrument

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