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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spell — letters
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. drill — a practice
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — army training
  24. wound — an injury

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