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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. race — the arms race
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. current — happening now
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. race — humankind
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — electric
  16. bore — to tire
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. current — of water
  20. kid — child
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. race — a contest
  24. cell — a phone

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