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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. current — happening now
  3. drill — a practice
  4. firm — decided
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kid — child
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — army training
  16. kid — to tease
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — a company
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — to sink
  23. current — electric
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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