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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — a phone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. last — final
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. toast — bread
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cell — in biology
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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