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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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — in cards
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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