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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. chest — a box
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. bowl — to roll

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