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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. present — the time now
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kid — child
  14. drill — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kid — to tease
  20. present — there
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. present — a gift

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