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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — of the year
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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