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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bore — to drill
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — to be able to
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. last — to go on
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — an aim
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to tire

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