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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. kick — in football
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — thin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — ground
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. board — to get on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. squash — the vegetable

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