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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. suit — clothes
  7. vault — a safe
  8. suit — to fit
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. suit — in cards
  24. season — of the year

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