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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spell — letters
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to tire
  11. file — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — for sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a line of people
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. spell — a short time
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a document
  24. court — of law

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