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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rock — music

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