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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. drill — army training
  6. wind — moving air
  7. court — of a king
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. suit — in cards
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. court — of law

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