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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — a break
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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