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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bore — to drill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. drill — army training
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mug — a face

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