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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — rain
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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