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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 124 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to drill
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. current — electric
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bore — to tire
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cold — an illness

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