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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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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: root · bay · last · craft · kid · dip · mouse · safe

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kid — child
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. root — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. last — to go on
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. kid — to tease
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — final
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — a skill
  20. last — finally
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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