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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. drill — army training
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kid — child
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tear — to rip
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. squash — to crush
  24. racket — for tennis

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