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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — in sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. season — of the year
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — letters
  11. board — to get on
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — the animal

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