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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kid — child
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — in music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to sink
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pass — a permit
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bark — of a tree

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