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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — to come from
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — letters
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. drill — the tool

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