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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bass — low music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — of the year
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. season — in sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kid — child
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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