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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
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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: drill · mug · squash · chair · object · rash · bore · wake

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bore — to tire
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. squash — the sport
  10. drill — the tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — army training
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — a series
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mug — a face
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. object — to protest

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