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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: fan · race · bore · can · rock · mouse · spell · bay

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. spell — magic
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spell — a short time

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