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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to tire
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — a video
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wound — an injury

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