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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fine — all right
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cold — not warm
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. club — for golf
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cold — an illness
  21. club — a group
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bay — a horse colour

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