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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mug — a face
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — to drill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. drill — a practice
  14. net — in sport
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a trace
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wind — moving air

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