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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 120 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: bore · tear · ball · drill · mug · land · bark · ruler

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. land — to come down
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — a face
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. land — a country
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ball — a dance
  20. land — ground
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bark — to shout
  23. tear — from crying
  24. drill — army training

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