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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. roll — a list
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — in control
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. charge — electricity

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