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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mug — to rob
  6. shower — rain
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mug — a face
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bat — the animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bore — to tire
  18. can — to be able to
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. squash — to crush

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