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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cell — a phone
  3. march — the month
  4. snap — to click
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. bore — to tire
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cell — in biology
  19. march — music
  20. object — a thing
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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