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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: hand · cell · squash · tear · dip · jam · bay · fork

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hand — in cards
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cell — a phone
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tear — from crying

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