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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. row — a line
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — of water
  13. last — to go on
  14. can — to be able to
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to tire
  23. last — final
  24. can — a tin

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