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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rule — government
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rule — a law
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — a position
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ground — crushed
  23. scale — size or range
  24. dip — to dunk

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