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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tube — a container
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — to rob
  9. game — a match
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mug — a face
  24. game — wild animals

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