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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bank — of a river
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ground — a position

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