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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — to tire

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