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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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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: bore · race · chair · dip · mouse · can · cap · bay

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. race — humankind
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cap — of ice
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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