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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. object — an aim
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lie — to recline
  10. object — a thing
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — of a tree

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