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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: bay · patient · pop · rock · dip · mouse · season · leaves

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — of the year
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rock — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — the animal

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