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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rule — government
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. face — part of the head
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rule — a law
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — child
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. face — to confront
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. tube — a container
  23. kid — to tease
  24. face — to point toward

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