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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rock — music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — a tool
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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