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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lie — to recline
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ball — a great time
  7. drill — army training
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ball — a dance
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — of a word
  23. chip — in a computer
  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