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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a hint
  10. game — wild animals
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fall — the season
  15. bore — to tire
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — a match
  19. hand — help
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — in cards

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