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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — help
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — a jug

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