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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 116 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. field — farmland
  4. rule — government
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bore — to drill
  7. field — for sport
  8. squash — the sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lie — to recline

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