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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. ball — a great time
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wind — moving air

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