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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tear — to rip
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — a sauce

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