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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. club — a group
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — to point toward
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — to go on
  16. bore — to drill
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to confront
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — final
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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