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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. press — to push
  5. drill — army training
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — thin
  8. bark — to shout
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lean — to bend
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. dip — to dunk

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