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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · bore · cue · bay · leaves · row

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cue — a hint
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. row — to paddle
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. row — a line
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — child
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bay — a horse colour

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