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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — army training
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. swing — to play on
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. drill — the tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bark — to shout
  18. craft — boats
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. toast — bread
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — a series
  24. bowl — a football final

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