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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · spring · foot · squash · bore · pound · wave · drill

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fall — the season
  13. drill — army training
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spring — of water
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — the season
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fall — to drop

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