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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chair — to sit on

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