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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. nail — for a hammer
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wake — a trail
  5. file — a tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cap — of ice
  20. file — a document
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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