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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — an aim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. kid — child
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — to protest
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to confront
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — for measuring

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