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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — humankind
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tube — a container
  11. lean — thin
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — a contest
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — the underground
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to rest against

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