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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cold — not warm
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — in traffic

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