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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mark — a trace
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a grade
  5. file — a tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a ring
  8. bass — low music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. file — a document
  24. band — a music group

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