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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chest — a box
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. chair — a leader
  11. land — to come down
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chest — of your body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bore — to drill

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