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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. land — ground
  3. drill — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. race — humankind
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — happy
  16. land — to come down
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. race — a contest
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. content — the amount

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