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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. drill — the tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — a face
  6. bore — to drill
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mug — a cup
  11. sharp — clever
  12. land — to come down
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. drill — army training
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ball — a great time
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rush — to hurry

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