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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. key — in music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bound — certain
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — a horse colour

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