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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — to tire
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — in a race
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bulb — for light

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