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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pop — soda
  9. staff — employees
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. staff — a stick
  15. present — a gift
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. mine — belonging to me

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