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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to tire
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — to go on
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — a coil

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