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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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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: roll · chest · bear · dip · march · mug · object · date

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — a box
  5. mug — a face
  6. bear — the animal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — to rob
  10. march — music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mug — a cup
  18. roll — a list
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — the month
  21. object — a thing
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — an aim

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