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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — magic
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — low music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. plane — a tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. bass — the fish
  24. scale — for weighing

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