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

Word bank: kid · wake · drill · season · deal · bay · mug · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. season — in sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mug — to rob
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. drill — army training
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a face
  23. kid — child
  24. season — of the year

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