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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a ring
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. band — a music group
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — soda
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cell — a phone

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