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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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