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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. craft — boats
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — magic
  20. row — to paddle
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spell — a short time
  24. current — electric

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