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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mug — a face
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mug — a cup
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — army training
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. face — to confront
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. dip — to sink

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