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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — a hole
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — in cards
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — help

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