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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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. kick — in football
  5. fine — all right
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bore — to drill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. season — of the year
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mug — a face
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bore — to tire
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ground — a position
  20. season — in sport
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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