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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bound — obliged
  20. snap — to click
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bound — certain
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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