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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. march — music
  7. charge — a price
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — in cards
  14. charge — in control
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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