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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. charge — a price
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — a practice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. drill — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. charge — in control
  21. season — in sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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