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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.

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: can · plane · cold · bore · bear · bay · mate · bulb

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a partner
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cold — an illness
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mate — a friend
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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