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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — help
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bore — to tire
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — army training
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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