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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — completely
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — to tire

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