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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rush — hurry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — in football
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — a thrill

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