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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spring — a coil
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — in control
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spring — of water
  18. kid — to tease
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. kid — child
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cabinet — ministers

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