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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. bore — to tire
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — for a computer

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