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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fine — all right
  6. spring — of water
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — high quality
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. spring — the season
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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