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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kid — child
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. snap — to click
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. shower — rain
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to dunk

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