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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rock — music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mate — to breed

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