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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. game — a match
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. charge — in control
  5. firm — decided
  6. bore — to tire
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. firm — a company
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — army training
  13. firm — steady
  14. drill — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. game — wild animals
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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