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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. snap — to click
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rash — a series
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — a phone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bore — to tire
  23. last — to go on
  24. rash — on the skin

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