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

Word bank: staff · kid · bore · jam · bay · can · squash · wake

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. squash — the sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. kid — child
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. can — a tin
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kid — to tease
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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