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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. race — the arms race
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. race — a contest
  15. rule — government
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. race — humankind
  23. rule — a law
  24. hide — to keep secret

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