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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 · hand · fall · scale · bowl · mate · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hand — help
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. scale — in music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a friend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bore — to tire

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