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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — to keep track
  6. season — of the year
  7. craft — a skill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — army training
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. file — a tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — to add flavour

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