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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to drill
  3. suit — clothes
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bore — to tire
  24. last — final

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