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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 124 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kid — child
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kid — to tease
  17. race — a contest
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. safe — out of danger

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