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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a music group
  12. drill — army training
  13. lean — thin
  14. mug — a cup
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lean — to bend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — a face
  23. race — humankind
  24. rest — a break

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