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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bore — to tire
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cell — in biology
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — boats
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. season — in sport
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mark — a trace
  24. craft — a skill

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