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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ground — a position
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — in a race
  19. shower — rain
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pit — a hole

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