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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. club — for dancing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — a group
  6. cold — an illness
  7. club — for golf
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. toast — bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cold — not warm
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. board — a committee
  19. season — of the year
  20. board — to get on
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bore — to drill
  24. season — in sport

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