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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. tear — to rip
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. squash — the sport
  14. tear — from crying
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — after costs
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tear — from crying

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