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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rest — a break
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to tire
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — a short time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. face — to confront
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rest — what's left
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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