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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: bore · spell · wind · present · stick · pit · game · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. present — a gift
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. present — the time now
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — letters
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spell — magic
  19. drill — army training
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. present — there
  24. spell — a short time

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