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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. content — happy
  11. race — a contest
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. kick — in football
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a hole

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