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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — a committee
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spell — magic

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