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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 124 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 I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — for sport
  12. chair — a leader
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — a container
  16. bore — to tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. field — a subject
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rest — a break

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