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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. drill — the tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. spell — magic
  6. drill — army training
  7. wake — a trail
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — the amount
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. race — humankind
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bore — to tire
  23. content — happy
  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