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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bore — to drill
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — crushed
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — a law
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fork — a garden tool

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