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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. clip — to cut
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bore — to tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. game — a match
  13. clip — a video
  14. game — wild animals
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. present — the time now
  19. clip — for paper
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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