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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. court — of a king
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of law
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  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