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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pop — music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — a country
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fine — all right
  11. land — ground
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. toast — bread
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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