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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a partner
  4. march — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. toast — bread
  11. bore — to tire
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. march — the month
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. scale — size or range
  24. track — a path

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