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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. row — a line
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — a price
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — electricity
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — an explosive

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