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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: cabinet · wake · bore · game · bay · mug · saw · staff

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. game — a match
  24. staff — employees

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