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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: bay · bore · bear · season · can · chair · hand · shower

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — in sport
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — of the year
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chair — a leader
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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