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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.

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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cold — an illness
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. date — the fruit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — a loud noise

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