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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. board — to get on
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — a committee
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rule — government
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — of water
  24. straw — dry grass

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