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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bound — certain
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — goods
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stock — shares
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — a soup base

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