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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. last — final
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. bore — to drill
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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