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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — happening now
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — a container
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. mine — for digging
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. current — electric
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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