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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. dip — to sink
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — after costs

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