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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — help
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — a permit
  24. plane — a tool

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