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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 120 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — a stone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. row — a line
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rock — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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