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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. net — for catching
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. last — to go on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — after costs
  21. spring — of water
  22. last — final
  23. spring — the season
  24. last — finally

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