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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — to confront
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. capital — money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — to sink

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