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

Word bank: fall · present · rash · mouse · rock · bay · dip · cell

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. present — the time now
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rock — music
  20. present — there
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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