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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mug — to rob
  6. drill — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bore — to drill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. drill — army training
  13. mug — a cup
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mug — a face

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