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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — to tease
  8. board — to get on
  9. press — to push
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kid — child
  12. board — a committee
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — a publisher

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