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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. suit — to fit
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a great time
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — low music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. drill — army training
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bore — to tire
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hand — help

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