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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — of the year
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to drill
  7. race — humankind
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a music group
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. season — in sport
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — a break
  22. foot — a measure
  23. band — a ring
  24. race — a contest

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