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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — a series
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. bore — to tire
  20. file — a tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — hasty

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