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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. object — an aim
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ball — a dance
  11. object — a thing
  12. shower — rain
  13. object — to protest
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to tire
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ground — crushed
  23. shower — to wash
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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