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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. board — a committee
  4. chest — of your body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chest — a box
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — finally

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