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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spring — the season
  14. bank — for money
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wind — moving air
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pit — in a race
  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