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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — to protest
  6. foot — a measure
  7. object — an aim
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — for a lock
  12. tube — a container
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — letters
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bore — to tire
  20. key — the most important part
  21. object — a thing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. bore — gave birth

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