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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a line
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to tire
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a dance
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — to paddle
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bore — gave birth

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