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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spring — the season
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. race — humankind
  5. spring — a coil
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cap — of ice
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spring — of water
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ground — a position
  24. bear — the animal

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