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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rash — hasty
  4. face — to point toward
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — to fit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. current — of water
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. clip — a video
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to tire
  18. face — to confront
  19. stem — to come from
  20. suit — in cards
  21. current — happening now
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rash — a series

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