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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. current — of water
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. current — electric
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — happening now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fan — a supporter

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