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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. key — for a lock
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. spell — a short time
  16. drill — army training
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. drill — a practice
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wind — moving air
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. key — in music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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