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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bore — to tire
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pop — to visit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — a law
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — army training
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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