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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 120 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spring — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. bore — to tire
  5. plane — a tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. last — to go on
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — the sport
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. last — final

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