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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ground — a position
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. craft — boats
  24. straw — dry grass

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