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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. field — for sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. field — a subject

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