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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mark — a grade
  5. present — there
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. drill — army training
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. saw — the tool

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