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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mug — a cup
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. current — happening now
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mug — a face
  17. current — of water
  18. degree — temperature
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. current — electric
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. degree — an amount
  24. row — to paddle

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