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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pop — music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — a container
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rest — a break
  14. mug — a face
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. drill — army training
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pop — soda
  24. rest — what's left

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