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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rest — a break
  4. last — final
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — finally
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — animal 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