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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. snap — to click
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — army training
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bass — low music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fan — a supporter

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