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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. current — electric
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cold — an illness
  9. current — of water
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cold — not warm
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. charge — in control
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. current — happening now
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. charge — a price
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rash — a series
  24. cold — the Cold War

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