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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — a contest
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — army training
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fall — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — the arms race

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