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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rash — a series
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ground — a position
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — for golf
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — to tire
  23. club — a group
  24. ruler — for measuring

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