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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tube — the underground
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fall — the season
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tube — a container
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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