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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — shares
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — goods
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — the season
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — to tire
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a path
  24. chair — a professorship

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