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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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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. current — electric
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. branch — a division
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. fine — all right
  21. roll — a list
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — of a bank

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