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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ball — a dance
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fall — the season
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rash — a series
  23. chest — of your body
  24. dip — to dunk

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