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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. squash — the sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — in sport
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. scale — in music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — to crush
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. scale — size or range
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bark — to shout
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. nail — for a hammer

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