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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. march — music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. march — the month
  9. spring — of water
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bass — low music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. rest — a break
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. season — of the year
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — in football
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. march — the month
  23. season — in sport
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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