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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. board — a committee
  24. drill — a practice

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