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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a dance
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — a thing
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. fall — the season
  15. object — to protest
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. land — a country
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — to drop
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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