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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. saw — the tool
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. dip — to sink
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — clever
  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