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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. row — a line
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rule — government

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