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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 116 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: bear · drill · stand · bore · rush · march · chair · wound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. drill — army training
  19. march — music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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