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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. band — a ring
  6. bore — to drill
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. tube — a container
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. band — a music group
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — a trail
  14. shower — rain
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. arm — part of the body

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