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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mine — for digging
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. board — a committee
  21. bark — to shout
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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