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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.

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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: bore · land · bay · arm · saw · leaves · snap · racket

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to tire
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — to drill
  15. land — to come down
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. land — a country
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. land — ground
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. bay — a horse colour

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