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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. toast — bread
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. kick — in football
  19. spring — the season
  20. current — electric
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wind — moving air

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