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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. cold — an illness
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. march — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cold — not warm

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