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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rule — government
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rule — a law
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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