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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. staff — a stick
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fine — all right
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. staff — employees

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