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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. branch — a division
  11. content — the amount
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wake — a trail
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. court — of law
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — for sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lash — to lash out

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