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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — gave birth

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