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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. current — of water
  12. season — in sport
  13. current — electric
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bound — obliged
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bore — to drill
  23. current — happening now
  24. rush — hurry

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