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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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spell — magic
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — letters
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lean — thin
  24. bulb — for light

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