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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. snap — to click
  5. hand — help
  6. rash — a series
  7. bore — to tire
  8. can — to be able to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — part of the body

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