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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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. race — a contest
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. kid — child
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pit — in a race
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ball — a dance

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