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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rule — government
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rule — a law
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bore — to tire
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. root — the cause
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — a weight
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — child

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