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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. dip — to dunk

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