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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spring — the season
  23. row — a line
  24. spring — of water

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