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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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