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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — to drill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — a stick
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. snap — to click
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mine — for digging

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