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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to tire
  4. kick — in football
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. track — a song
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lie — to recline
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rash — a series
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a path
  24. row — a line

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