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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cold — an illness
  4. court — for sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — a tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. root — of a word
  12. bore — to tire
  13. charge — a price
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. court — of law
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — in control
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. squash — to crush
  22. root — of a plant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. court — of a king

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