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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — a line
  4. kid — child
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rest — a break
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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