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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. dip — to sink
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — of the year
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — the sport
  20. date — the fruit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — a sauce

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