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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to click
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — the sport
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wind — moving air

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