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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — in sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — in a road
  8. race — a contest
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kid — child
  11. net — for catching
  12. race — humankind
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — after costs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. net — in sport
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. season — of the year
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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