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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. track — a song
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. land — a country
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — a path
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — to come down
  18. mate — a partner
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a friend

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