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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bore — to drill
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. last — finally
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pass — to spend time

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