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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spell — letters
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — steady
  18. march — the month
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — a short time

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