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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. march — music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — a cup
  13. firm — steady
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — decided
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mug — a face
  24. racket — for tennis

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