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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bore — to drill
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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