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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. firm — steady
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. field — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cell — a phone
  15. firm — a company
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. field — farmland
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. firm — decided
  21. clip — a video
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. clip — to cut
  24. toast — bread

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