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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. squash — to crush
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bore — gave birth

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