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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a trace
  7. saw — the tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. object — a thing
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — to drill
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. object — an aim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — to protest

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