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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. board — to get on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — a committee
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

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