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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ball — a great time
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mug — a face
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cap — a hat
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — a thrill

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