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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: bass · bore · spell · mouse · straw · rule · row · chair

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bass — low music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bore — to tire
  7. spell — magic
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. row — a line
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rule — a law
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rule — government
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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