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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mark — a trace
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — of a river
  19. season — in sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. perch — for a bird

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