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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. capital — money
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — to crush
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — a city
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — army training
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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