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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mate — to breed
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — a friend
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — a stick
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fine — high quality

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