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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bore — to tire
  4. game — a match
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — to drill
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stem — to come from
  20. clip — a video
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — a big deal

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