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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — to protest
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — a thing
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. object — an aim
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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