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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ball — a dance

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