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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. lean — thin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mine — for digging
  20. charge — a price
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fan — to cool the air

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