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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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 tire
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. race — humankind
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cue — a hint
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. race — a contest
  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