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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — of the year
  13. object — a thing
  14. clip — a video
  15. object — an aim
  16. cue — for pool
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cue — a signal
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cue — a hint

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