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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — there
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. present — the time now
  23. rash — a series
  24. fan — to cool the air

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