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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. file — a document
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — to hurry

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