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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: dip · race · fine · mate · straw · scale · bay · hide

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. scale — in music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. race — a contest
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — the arms race
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fine — high quality

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