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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a song
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. dip — to sink
  5. field — for sport
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — farmland
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kid — child
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. saw — the tool
  23. field — a subject
  24. kid — to tease

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