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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. present — a gift
  4. band — a ring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. band — a music group
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. present — the time now
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. present — there
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rock — music
  24. bore — to tire

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