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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 116 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. row — to paddle
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a line
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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