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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. band — a music group
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pop — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a ring

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