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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: saw · snap · hide · court · bore · cue · drill · cabinet

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — to drill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. snap — to click
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of a king
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — 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