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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · hand · file · perch · chip · season · dip · bay

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. season — of the year
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hand — help
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a document
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — in sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to sink

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