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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 116 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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. field — for sport
  3. drill — army training
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — a subject
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — farmland
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wind — moving air
  24. can — to be able to

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