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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tear — to rip
  4. row — a line
  5. degree — temperature
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bore — to drill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. row — to paddle
  14. tear — from crying
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — from a university
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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