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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. spell — a short time
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — a subject
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. last — to go on
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. last — final
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. present — there
  21. bore — to drill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bay — a horse colour

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