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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. band — a music group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. date — the fruit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kick — in football
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — a sauce

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