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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 120 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.

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: ball · squash · bay · bore · file · object · bowl · saw

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. object — a thing
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — an aim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. object — to protest
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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