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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. file — a document
  3. chest — a box
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. file — a line of people
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chest — of your body

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