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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — ground
  3. bore — to tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fall — the season
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. bore — gave birth

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