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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — to play on
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. swing — music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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