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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cell — a phone
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. board — to get on
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — to tire
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. craft — a skill

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