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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. chest — a box
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. hand — in cards
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chair — a leader
  22. track — a path
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — a song

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