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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. degree — an amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — a horse colour

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