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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — a series
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spring — the season
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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