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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — a law
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — a subject
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chest — a box
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — government
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. field — farmland
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. field — for sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — out of danger

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