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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 124 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bat — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. press — to push
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — a container
  22. press — newspapers
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bark — to shout

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