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

Word bank: jam · dip · arm · rash · bore · rule · kid · drill

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — army training
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. kid — child
  10. rule — government
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rash — hasty
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. drill — the tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kid — to tease
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

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