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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mark · row · bay · straw · date · spring · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. spring — of water
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — in music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spring — a coil
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. row — a line
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spring — the season
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. dip — to sink
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. dip — a sauce

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