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

Word bank: bore · track · cabinet · snap · march · wind · race · bulb

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — music
  5. track — a song
  6. race — humankind
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — a path
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. race — a contest
  24. bore — to tire

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