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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. march — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pound — a weight
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — to drop
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — a container
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pound — to hit hard

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