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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — army training
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a line
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. charge — electricity
  20. row — to paddle
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. charge — a price

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