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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. drill — a practice
  3. track — to keep track
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. drill — army training
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. snap — to click
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wind — moving air
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — a song
  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