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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — to go on
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. row — to paddle
  5. race — humankind
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. last — finally
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bore — to tire
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. toast — bread

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