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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — a hint
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — the fruit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — low music
  19. clip — a video
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. clip — to cut
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. date — on the calendar

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