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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 124 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — a country
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. key — in music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. land — to come down
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to tire
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. tear — from crying

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