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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rest — a break
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rule — a law
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — government
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chair — to sit on

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