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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — to crush
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. snap — to click
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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