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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. roll — a cake
  3. race — the arms race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a list
  12. mine — for digging
  13. craft — boats
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — a contest
  17. lie — to recline
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. race — humankind
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. dip — to dunk

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