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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: chair · dip · rock · fan · bay · tear · current · content

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — the amount
  7. current — of water
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — happy
  12. current — happening now
  13. tear — to rip
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. current — electric
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chair — a leader

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