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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — a law
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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