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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cold — an illness
  7. drill — army training
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fine — all right
  17. cold — not warm
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — to recline

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