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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cap — a lid
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. swing — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. swing — in golf
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bark — to shout
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — of ice
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hand — help

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