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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bore — to drill
  3. drill — army training
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stand — to bear
  9. race — humankind
  10. cap — of ice
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. race — a contest
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tear — to rip

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