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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a cup
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mug — to rob
  19. chest — a box
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pound — a weight
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mug — a face

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