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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — final
  3. firm — steady
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. firm — a company
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a great time
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — decided
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rest — a break
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. current — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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