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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mug — a face
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bore — to tire
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — to drill
  19. sharp — clever
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — exactly

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