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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. date — the fruit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — in cards
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hand — help
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. dip — to sink

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