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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bay · ball · season · wave · bore · rash · mouse · cap

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. season — in sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rash — a series
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bore — to drill
  23. season — of the year
  24. cap — of ice

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