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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kick — in football
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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