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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. dip — to sink
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wake — before a funeral

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