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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. bore — to drill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — finally
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. season — in sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hand — in cards
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cold — an illness
  10. firm — steady
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — a company
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — decided
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hand — help
  19. last — to go on
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cold — not warm
  23. last — final
  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