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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.

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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: kid · pound · bore · lie · wave · drill · fork · last

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — final
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kid — child
  23. drill — army training
  24. wave — of the sea

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