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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. band — a ring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — letters
  16. wind — moving air
  17. charge — in control
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. spell — a short time
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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