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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spring — the season
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. deal — to handle
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — help
  23. spring — of water
  24. craft — a skill

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