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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. content — the amount
  6. bass — the fish
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — army training
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — magic
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. content — happy
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. drill — a practice

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