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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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. object — a thing
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bore — to tire
  8. snap — to click
  9. tube — a container
  10. staff — employees
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. object — to protest
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tube — the underground

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