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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. spring — the season
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spring — of water
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spring — a coil
  24. land — ground

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