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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — for sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a music group
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of law
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bank — for money
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. court — of a king
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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