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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — for money

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