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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — to drill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. march — the month
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a grade
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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