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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to click
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. straw — dry grass

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