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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. band — a music group
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

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