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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — final
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — music
  14. spell — magic
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — to come from
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stem — of a plant
  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