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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to click
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — to drill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — boats
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. present — there
  24. fine — high quality

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