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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 124 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. bore — to tire
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. degree — temperature

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