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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — a line
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — to tire
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. capital — a city
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — clever
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — for money
  24. foot — part of the body

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