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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — the tool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — army training
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spring — of water
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. hand — help
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. suit — clothes

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