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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — a trail
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mark — a trace
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mine — an explosive

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