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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. land — a country
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — to come down
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. land — ground
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bore — to tire

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