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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — of a king
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stand — to bear
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mug — a face
  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