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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chest — a box
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. object — a thing
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. object — to protest
  22. chest — of your body
  23. object — an aim
  24. sharp — clever

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