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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kid — to tease
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to drill
  6. face — to confront
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — the tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rule — a law
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rule — government
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — army training
  24. bore — to tire

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