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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — a line
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. row — to paddle
  5. content — the amount
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. board — to get on
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stand — to bear
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stand — for spectators

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