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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. staff — a stick
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cell — a phone
  15. scale — in music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cell — in a prison

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