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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · ruler · cap · dip · hand · hide · drill · straw

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — a hat
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bore — to drill
  22. drill — army training
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cap — of ice

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