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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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