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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. file — a line of people
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — a group
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. club — for golf
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. file — a document
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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