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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. row — to paddle
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a line
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bore — to tire

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