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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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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: mate · saw · content · board · rush · mouse · drill · bore

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — happy
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — to get on
  19. drill — army training
  20. content — the amount
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. drill — the tool

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