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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hand — help
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fine — all right
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hand — in cards
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bore — to drill

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