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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. present — the time now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. present — a gift
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — there
  23. bank — of a river
  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