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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 · mouse · march · spring · deal · object · drill · stand

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. object — a thing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — the season
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. drill — army training
  18. march — music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. object — to protest
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to drill

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