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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · dip · hide · mug · bass · ruler · prune · kick

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — a committee
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. board — to get on
  24. prune — the fruit

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