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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. last — final
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. last — to go on
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rash — a series
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. last — finally
  21. can — to be able to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — exactly

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