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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spell — letters
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — in music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. roll — a list
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spell — magic
  16. date — the fruit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — to sink
  19. kick — in football
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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