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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — high quality
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. snap — to click
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — all right
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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