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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. swing — to play on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. race — humankind
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — government
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. perch — the fish
  18. race — a contest
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. deal — to handle
  22. swing — in golf
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rule — a law

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