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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. drill — army training
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to drill
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. drill — the tool

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