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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — magic
  10. field — a subject
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — letters
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. snap — to click
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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