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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bore — to tire
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bore — to drill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — moving air
  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