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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a dance
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chest — a box
  20. band — a ring
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  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