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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fork — in a road
  8. drill — the tool
  9. land — ground
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — a permit
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — to come down
  20. row — a line
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. row — to paddle
  23. land — a country
  24. drill — a practice

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