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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — ground
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hand — help
  14. bound — obliged
  15. land — to come down
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. land — a country
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rest — a break

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