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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wind — moving air
  7. field — a subject
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. field — for sport
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. field — farmland
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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