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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — in football
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bore — to tire
  5. tear — from crying
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hand — in cards
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tear — to rip
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hand — help
  24. chair — a leader

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