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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. row — a line
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. row — to paddle
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — finally
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. last — final
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — to go on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. dip — to sink

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