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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rock — music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — of the year
  15. spring — a coil
  16. season — in sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spring — the season
  24. bowl — a dish

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