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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — a phone
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — to tire
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cue — for pool
  19. roll — a list
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cell — in biology

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