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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.

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: arm · bay · staff · press · pitcher · wave · date · dip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. staff — employees
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. dip — to sink
  6. press — newspapers
  7. staff — a stick
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. press — to push
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — the fruit

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