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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. present — a gift
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bore — to tire
  7. squash — the sport
  8. present — there
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — the time now
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — to turn a key

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