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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — humankind
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. race — the arms race
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kick — in football
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. race — a contest

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