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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bore — to drill
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — an aim
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. object — to protest
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bore — to tire

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