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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: saw · bore · spring · bay · squash · firm · chip · last

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spring — the season
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. last — to go on
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. last — final
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chip — for betting
  15. firm — steady
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. last — finally
  21. spring — of water
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. firm — decided

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