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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — humankind
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. race — the arms race
  6. field — a subject
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. squash — to crush
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spring — of water
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. field — for sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — a contest
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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