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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — thin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. present — there
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. present — the time now
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mark — a trace
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. game — a match
  17. pound — a weight
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. mark — a grade

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