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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — decided
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — in sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bore — to tire
  13. firm — steady
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bore — to drill

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