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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — to drill
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rock — music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. mine — belonging to me

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