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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — hurry
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — the season
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — a loud noise

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