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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. land — a country
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — to move gently

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