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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rest — a break
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fine — all right
  7. race — humankind
  8. fine — high quality
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spring — of water
  11. ground — a position
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — crushed
  14. race — a contest
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. prune — to trim
  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