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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bore — to tire
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cell — a phone
  24. game — a match

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